We have been talking about psychosocial risk factors and their impact on the workplace which, I believe, is immense. These risks are related to the way an individual interacts with their job and work environment, like control over their job, feedback from superiors, a supportive team, the stress of the job. These factors can be controlled, to a degree, by your management style and culture and can directly impact the happiness of the employees.

External psychosocial factors also play a part in affecting work dynamics. Ill health, depression, death of a loved one, birth of a loved one, getting married, lifestyle - these factors (some good but mostly bad) can distract a person from doing their job effectively. This can be dangerous for their safety and that of those around them. Our workplace culture can be severely affected if just one person is bringing everyone else down and it could be a combination of factors that are contributing to their disengagement.

The point is, there are many reasons why workers may be distracted at work. Caring enough to know a bit about each other creates a more supportive culture and issues are less likely to escalate. We aren't suggesting you become bff's with your employees - in fact this can lead to a whole separate issue in the workplace! - but being approachable allows team members to feel comfortable bringing their concerns to management. Open and supportive communication should be a core aspect of any good leadership strategy. Happy workers makes for an engaged workforce and this can only be good for business.

And in case you still don't get why you should care - it's called being a good kiwi...